


What Revenge Couldn't Destroy

by SacredMorningStar



Series: Commissions [5]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Happy Ending, Mentions of Death, Mentions of accidents, commission, mentions of torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 15:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14083722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SacredMorningStar/pseuds/SacredMorningStar
Summary: Another commissioned piece! Part 3 of a Commission Series!After Marinette had become a member of the Starrick family she had wonderful news meaning their family would be expanding. What happens when an old enemy comes back? How will the family recover and are their bond strong enough to hold through everything that was happening?





	1. Wonderful News

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mifrifi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mifrifi/gifts).



Crawford and Marinette’s honeymoon had been something simple, a trip to the coast to enjoy the view and time to themselves, and when they had come back she had wondered if anything had changed between them. She had been nervous at first, the idea of consummating their marriage making her nervous as he hadn’t seen her whole body before, but he soothed her worries letting her know that he didn’t expect anything from her. This was for them to enjoy their first days of being married, no one could tell them how to enjoy it, and he would only consummate their marriage when she felt ready. They had enjoyed the views, enjoyed the beautiful cottage they rented, and on the third day there she finally felt confident to show herself to him. He had been in awe of her, completely stunned by her, seeing her like a painting and just let his eyes roam over her body, and she had the confidence to let him enjoy her. He had made the night memorable, took the time spoil her and almost seemed to be courting her all over again, making her much more comfortable to share her body with him again.

The holiday had been wonderful, the time together being peaceful and enjoyable, and the walks they had taken while in the middle of nowhere were beautiful and were something that would stay with her. The week had been wonderful, her fears and worries of the time away easily soothed and calmed, and on their way back home they had been closer than ever. She had never been so happy before, never believed she could have such a future, never thought she deserved such a life, but she had happily been proven wrong by the family that had taken her in so happily. When they got back to London, everything seemed to go back to the way it had been before the wedding as they had fallen back into their roles within the business. The only changes that happened between the pair had been that they would share a bed and were much more confident to show their affection for each other in public.

She had been glad that the wedding hadn’t changed anything drastically, that they were still just them and nothing more was expected of them, but something that had changed for the better was that she had grown close to Adelaide. The woman had begun to spend more time with her, would go out browsing shops with her, would invite her to come to tea parties, would spend time with her brushing her hair, and would sit with her in the library when she had more documents to fill in. Marinette had never known what it was like to have a mother take care of her, her own mother often ignoring her, and having a woman she could turn to, who would support her, was something different and new.

She had never been so happy with a family before, had never been able to relax around them and not have anything expected of her. She felt confident enough to turn to the woman whenever she felt overwhelmed, had the built a trust with her parents-in-law to call them mother and father, and it seemed the business were doing better that it eve had done before. The building success of the business had given Crawford more chance to spoil her, to please her, to make the most of his expanding family and give her everything she ever wanted. She had been more than he could ever expect, helping expand and build the company, spoiling him as much as he spoiled her and always made sure to take time to spend with him; even taking time to write a song together on the piano that only they would know. He was glad to see how happy she was with the family, glad to see the way she settled and built her trust with them and the way the two women had become so close.

The two women had begun to go shopping once a month, a day out that just for them, and it was on one of those days out that her life changed once again. They had gone out mostly looking to window shop, to see what they liked but not necessarily buy anything, and to try a small café that had recently opened close by. They had taken their time to walk through the streets, admiring the different pieces of jewellery, the shops filled with exotic wonders of the world, browsing bookshops to find a new world to explore, and had left the home early with a light breakfast. They hadn’t been out long when Marinette had suddenly felt her stomach churn. She had thought it was nothing at first, her nausea was coming and going for the past couple of weeks and she had thought it had been nothing. She had wanted to stay out, had wanted to continue their monthly ritual because she enjoyed it, but she had grown worse as time passed, and she was ushered back home; rushing inside to go to the toilet as her nausea got worse.

At first, they had thought it was just a bug, that she had picked something up somewhere, but when she was still being sick after two days, some food staying down but most not, a doctor was called to visit her. Crawford had been worried when he had heard she had been sick, especially when it had been three days without any sign of getting better, and he tried to comfort her in any way her could. When the doctor came, he was asked to leave the room, and he took his time to check everything. She had no sign of temperature, no sign of any virus, no sign of food poisoning, and moved on to ask her about her overall health. As she thought about it, she realised that she had missed her monthly cycle, but there was nothing else she could think of.

“Well, it seems that you are not sick Mrs Starrick. It appears that you are simply suffering morning sickness, I am happy to congratulate you on this sign of pregnancy and I recommend that you make sure to increase meat and green vegetables where you can, it will help with growth of the little one and will help you feel better. Ginger may help with the sickness as well, but it shouldn’t last more than a couple more months with what you have told me.” The doctor made notes on a sheet of paper with a smile to her. “It would seem you are about two months along and I recommend having a doctor coming to check once a month or if you have any concerns call us again.”

Marinette was still a little stunned hearing the news, hearing that she was carrying a life inside her body. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face as the doctor left the note with her and congratulated her one last time. She lay her hand over her stomach, no sign of the life inside her just yet, and she couldn’t help just sitting there staring at it. When Crawford came into the room he had been worried but when he saw the big smile on her face his worry changed to intrigue. He knelt beside her and noticed the way she was smiling and holding her stomach. She smiled to him and took his hand gently to lay it over her stomach feeling her nervousness bubble up at the confession.

“It seems we’re going to need more space, we’ve got another addition to join the family.” Her voice was filled with joy as she looked down to him.

The bright smile that rose to his face made her laugh sweetly and he moved to stroke her stomach in awe. He hadn’t expected a child so soon, that their family was going to be growing, and he leaned close to kiss her stomach with a broad smile. She laughed happily feeling his excited kisses and he held her close with a bright smile on his face. He wanted to shout his joy, wanted to world to know how happy he was, and neither of them could stop smiling to each other. He stood to kiss her happily and ran his hand through her hair as he looked down to her feeling pure joy.

“You have no idea how happy this makes me! Our own child, our own family, a future.” He laughed happily and pulled her up to twirl her around.

Laughter filled the room as she was spun around before he lowered her and held her close. He couldn’t wait to tell his parents, couldn’t wait to celebrate the wonderful news with those friends closest to them, but he wanted that moment of peace to last a little longer. This was their moment, this was just for them, and they stood there holding each other with an ecstatic expression on their faces. They heard a knock on the door and heard Adelaide calling through the door feeling worried about the results of the doctor’s visit. Crawford had answered the door and asked her to go to the lounge and that they would come down to speak to her in a few moments. He had wanted them to tell her together, to make sit special, to make the announcement together once she was ready to tell them. She admired her reflection before he took her hand and he kissed her knuckles gently to catch her attention again.

“Are you ready to tell them? It seems father had come home early when he heard that you had a doctor’s visit worrying about you. He was the one that encouraged mother to come up here and check on you seeing as it had taken so long to come down.” Crawford was laughing softly as he spoke and she smiled hearing the playful tone in his voice. “It seems he’s rather worried you’re seriously sick, but he’s too embarrassed to show it.”

“Stop teasing, just because he doesn’t always show it doesn’t mean he’ll never show it. You’d be the same with him and you know it.” She scolded him playfully and sighed softly as she calmed her worried before she nodded. “Alright, I think I’m ready. You think they’re going to make it a full celebration?”

The pair of them laughed softly and Crawford didn’t doubt that they were going to create a large party out of it. A new family member was something they always looked forward to, others in the family making their announcements large events, and it was something Adelaide had playfully hinted towards Crawford as she would ask when she should look forward to a grandchild. It had always made him laugh to hear how eager she was for him to find a wife and start a family with the business only just starting to grow. She had known the stress they were under, how the only time he would meet anyone of interest were at events, that he hadn’t had interest in anyone until he had met her. She had been the first person to truly interest him in a long time, to truly be unique enough to catch his attention and be confident enough to hold it without seeming self-obsessed.

He had taken her arm through his and he began to walk with her through the home to where their parents were waiting. She was nervous, feeling anxious about telling them so early not knowing what to expect. She had known people losing children, of extended family in France that had lost the children, and she hoped that telling them would mean that they could help keep the new life safe. She had grown up being told she could never be anything and now she was proving that belief wrong making herself a mother, a partner, a business associate, but she was still nervous about telling them. Crawford could tell she was over thinking it, that she was nervous, and tense and he gently rubbed her back as he took the lead with her. He was always going to be there with her, was always going to support her and comfort her, and he swore he would never abandon her even if his parents did but he promised her that wouldn’t happen.

When they stepped into the lounge both Crawford and Marinette could tell they were anxious, Sebastian pacing by the fireplace while Adelaide was sat doing embroidery but was clearly distracted. Both parents paused and looked over to the door, worried expressions crossing their faces, and Crawford stood behind Marinette; holding her close as they stood in the room.

“I’m sorry we’d got you worried, with me being sick and somebody making you come down here without a hint. It seems your son likes to tease you and cause you more stress than needed.” Her tone was scolding once again, and he grumbled behind her with a petulant pout. “However, it seems that there is some exciting news which is the reason why I’ve been sick. It seems that we can be expecting a new addition to the family, a new little one running around, another little Starrick will be demanding our attention.” 

Marinette smiled excitedly but nervously as Crawford held her from behind. Both parents stared at them a moment as they listened, the news taking a moment to sink in, before Adelaide’s smile grew and she stood to embrace them both. She held him close, kissed both on the cheek, lay her hands on her stomach and congratulated them both excitedly feeling proud at the news. Sebastian took a moment to watch them, to see the interaction, to watch his son before a smile grew on his face and he walked over to his son to shake his hand firmly. He took his son’s hand firmly and smiled to his daughter-in-law as he looked to her stomach in awe. It had felt like when Adelaide had announced she was pregnant and he couldn’t control the smile on his face at the thought of another child in the family.

“Congratulations to both of you, this is wonderful news, a child is a wonderful thing.” Sebastian was smiling in joy as he looked between the two of them. “We will bring in a nurse maid, we’ll have nursery planned, we will need more space as well, I cannot believe I’m going to be a Grandfather.”

Sebastian fought the tears in his eyes back as he looked over his daughter-in-law before he embraced her and kissed her forehead gently. She had never seen him show such raw emotion before, had never seen him so stunned, and it made her realise just how important something like this was to the man. She smiled to him and held him close as he fought back the tears in his eyes.


	2. Celebrations and First Born

Sebastian and Adelaide had both been excited by the news and planned a celebration and announcement for when she was six months into the pregnancy. They had wanted to make sure that the baby was growing well, that they were both healthy before they announced the wonderful news and made sure that they were checked each month to ensure they were both healthy. Crawford had been working hard in both the company and the Templar Order and his role had quickly advanced within the order bringing in more money. The increase in income had given the chance for them to search for a home more suitable to the expanding family and eventually decided on one not too far from where they were currently living.

They bought a larger home to give them more space and divided the building between them. Marinette and Crawford had the third floor with a music room, bathroom, bedroom and nursery, Adelaide and Sebastian had the top floor to themselves with their own bedroom, bathroom, and study. The ground floor of the building had the largest lounge, the business office, the dining room and the kitchen with access to the large garden at the back; that floor more for business and entertaining guests. The first floor was a communal area for the family to sit together outside of meal times with a library, drawing room and office. There were also extra rooms on the third and fourth floor that could be made into rooms for children.

Staff had been the ones to pack most of the possessions, had taken on most of the work, and Marinette was told to rest while their belongings were unpacked. Crawford had wanted her to rest but allowed her to direct him to where to put their furniture on their floor. Her stomach had started to swell with the life inside her and the family around her had began to get more careful with her reducing her workload to reduce the stress but the long time with nothing to do, once everything was unpacked and where they wanted, left her to think about everything that had happened and was going to happen. She would spend time in the library, playing music in the music room, learning embroidery from her honorary mother, but none of it seemed to distract her thoughts for too long.

She kept thinking she couldn’t be enough, that she couldn’t be a mother, that her experience with her own mother would affect her daughter. She would lay her hand over her stomach where the life was forming inside her and just stare in a mixture of awe and worry and when Adelaide caught that look she was quick to comfort the younger woman.

“You’re worrying about the baby, aren’t you?” Her voice was soft, and she just smile softly when Marinette nodded her answer. “We all go through that with our children, especially our first, I remember that feeling when I was first pregnant with Crawford’s oldest brother. We all wonder if we could ever be good enough, if we could be strong enough, but you’re not on your own in this Mari. I will always help you, I will always guide you, you joined a family not just became a wife.”

Adelaide had opened her arms to the other, offering her a hug, and the younger woman was happy to take the comforting embrace. She had known the worries, known what dangers pregnant women went through, how it could feel like hell when going through it alone. She understood the fears, especially since it was her first child at such a young age, but she also knew they had support and they wouldn’t struggle alone with the child. Both had proven they could take care of themselves, but they weren’t going to be alone if she could help it and she would give all the advice she could to help them both. Sebastian had offered the same to Crawford, albeit in a less emotional way, and even took the time to sit as a family and talk about what they were worried about with the birth of a new family member. It seemed both new parents had the same worries, the same fears of what could happen, of being failures, of not being good enough, and it seemed to comfort both knowing they shared the worry.

When it came time for the celebration, a grand ball where the most well-known families came to celebrate, Marinette’s stomach had become well rounded, had meant she needed custom dresses, and meant she found It harder to stay on her feet for longer periods of time. She had tried to keep some work, to keep herself busy, but it seemed Sebastian and Crawford had been working against her to make sure she had less and less work; thinking it would reduce stress. She hadn’t been too pleased at first, believing she was perfectly capable, but had been glad once it seemed she wore out easily. At the celebration, gifts had been brought for the new family, from clothes, to chocolates and even tableware for the family to use for the child. There were hundreds of people that came, friends of the family, well-known families, potential partners, and Marinette was a little overwhelmed with the number of people that had come to see the family. She had been given a seat at the end of the hall, somewhere all the guests could see, and Crawford stayed beside her whenever she needed rest. They would dance together, slowly and sweetly as he lay his hands over her stomach, and he would take his time to whisper sweet nothings in her ear as they danced; making her smile and chuckle.

Although she’d worn out easily, she had enjoyed the celebration and had been happy to spend the evening out doing something different to what she normally did. It had been nice to get out of the house, even though there was so much she could do in there and was happy to get the time to talk with those family friends who were trustworthy. She had still been a little unsure of the family friends, not really meeting many of them outside the party atmosphere, but here she had control over who she wanted to talk to and for how long making it easier to tell who were truly interested and who were just looking for a easier access to the family. It had given her time to figure out who she could call on if she needed help and who to avoid and showed her who truly understood her limits and those who tried to see what they could push for their benefits. She had learned a great deal by mostly sitting and watching the crowd celebrate and how they spoke to her or when they came to her.

As the months passed, her fears and worries had risen and fallen like waves but her Starrick family had been there to support her and calm her every time. They had arranged for her to give birth at home, for a doctor to be on call once it grew close to her due date, had the nursery prepared specially for the birth, and were just counting down the days until the exciting occasion. Adelaide had promised to stay beside her as the day grew closer and Crawford had two weeks as a holiday around the due date, so he could be there for her during labour. He was just as worried as she was about it all and as it grew closer the tension between them seemed to build as not only her hormones were out of control, but her emotions were scattered too; her extreme emotions caused more by the anxiety from the situation. The first kicks from the child had been exciting and wonderful but, as the child grew, those kicks hand changed from wonderful signs of life to a painful ache and twisting knot in her stomach only adding to the frustration and short temper; clearly straining some of the relationship between them. Marinette had grown more irritable with the mixture of anxiety, hormones, seemingly chronic fatigue and frustration at her inability work like she wanted to.

The day of the birth came, Adelaide recognised the signs and called the doctor immediately to help her through it. Labour had started three days later than they had expected, and Crawford had been growing worried that there could be something wrong until he was told her labour had begun. He rushed to her side as soon as he’d been told and took hold her hand feeling the tight grip against his hand. The labour was hard on her, the doctor trying to help her through the birth as best he could, and it lasted hours exhausting the poor young woman. She was starting to grow tired, the strain of labour taking a toll on her body, but Crawford was there encouraging her through and finally the sounds of a child’s cry filled the room. He had soothed her, had kissed her forehead as the doctor clamped the cord and wrapped the new-born in a blanket as they asked Crawford to cut the cord. The infant had finally stopped crying as it felt the warmth around it and the doctor offered the infant to the nurse to be bathed carefully.

“Congratulations, you are the parents of a beautiful baby girl. She’s certainly got a pair of lungs on her, the nurse will clean her for you and then she will talk you through nursing. Mrs Starrick, you did extremely well and you should both be very proud.” The doctor’s voice was gentle but firm as his attention turned to Crawford. “You must make sure she eats well, she will need her energy especially now, milk production is hard on the body and the birthing process will have taken a lot out of her.”

Marinette tensed hearing they had a daughter, scared that Crawford would be upset and not want her like her own father had, and she watched as the nurse offered him a towel to help dry their child; who had started crying when she felt the water against her. Marinette watched as the new-born was swaddled in a fluffy towel in her father’s arms and she watched the new father stare into her eyes in awe. She was still nervous, still worried he would reject her with the silence tense and heavy around her, feared he would turn to her and be angry, but she watched the way he rocked their daughter and smiled with tears in his eyes. She watched as he slowly walked over to her with their daughter in his arms and saw the bright smile on his face as he looked to her before he offered her to hold her. The nurse had been close to help guide her how to hold the baby, helped show her how to feed her, how to hold her, how to soothe her, and corrected her carefully when she was doing something wrong. Marinette was still nervous, was watching the way Crawford reacted, and when he stood over her as she fed their daughter. He smiled sweetly as he watched the pair and kissed her forehead gently while stroking their baby’s head. The nurse had taken the dirty bedding into the bathroom next door to get it out of sight, so the staff could clean it, giving them a moment to bond.

“She is absolutely beautiful Mari.” His voice was soft, still in awe, and he couldn’t help staring at the newest member of the family. “Looks just like her mother, so wonderful, what shall we call her?”

“You’re not upset she’s a girl?” Marinette looked up to him surprised and stared. “I thought you would be angry, thought you would be upset, was always told that daughters weren’t good enough.”

“Of course I’m not upset, she is ours, a child of ours is always going to be special to me.” He replied softly and kissed her gently before the nurse came in seeing the baby begin to slow feeding and came over to help move the baby into a nearby crib. “Just because _he_ thought you were useless doesn’t mean I’ll ever think the same of you or our daughter, we need to think of a name to match her beauty. Have you thought of anything?”

“I hadn’t, I didn’t think she would be a girl, but I’ve always loved the name Meredith. I think it just sounds beautiful and she…she looks like a Meredith.” Her eyes looked over to the small basket beside the bed where their child was resting.

Crawford smiled softly at her reaction and agreed to the name, enjoying the sound of it too, before he walked over to the basket and knelt to speak to her softly. His voice was soft, his hand gently stroked the side of her face, he admired her with a sweet expression on her face. He swore to protect her, to look after her, to always care for her and never let anyone hurt her, and Marinette made him swear not to get her involved with the Templars or the Assassins. She wanted her daughter kept out of that life after what it had done to her and her family. She wanted her daughter to not worry about any of those pressures and he was glad to keep his word. The first few years of her life were filled with everything she could want, Marinette taking an eager role to raise her while Crawford spoiled her, and they watched as she seemed to grow faster than they ever thought possible. Marinette enjoyed watching how her husband had happily taken the role of father seriously and would spend all his time with her no matter how busy his day had been. She had still been nervous for the first few months of her daughter’s life, but she watched as she realised it had always been her father that was wrong. She had watched as he would play with the toys, watch as he would make her laugh and giggle and tickle her. He was so much more hands on than she ever remembered her father being and she was so happy he was being so involved with her.

She had worried being a mother was something she couldn’t so, that she wasn’t enough, but every time she saw the smile on Meredith’s face she knew she could. She hadn’t known what her mother thought of her, how she saw her, never questioned it, but if she had ever felt like this then she didn’t understand why she had been so cold to her later in life. She was watching as her toddler was sitting having a tea party with her dolls and her father helping her pour her and her dolls tea making her smile.


	3. Attempt at Revenge

The first few years of her daughter’s life had been the best it could be, had been filled with everything she could wish for, had tutors brought into the home to give her the best of what they could get. As she had grown, Crawford had been able to spend more time at home, hiring others to do many of the more menial parts of the business, and would spend time with Meredith as often as he could. Marinette had taken on the role of mother well, with some guidance from Adelaide, and her fears and worries of Crawford’s thoughts of their daughter had easily been soothed. Their child had him wrapped around her little finger whenever they went shopping, whenever they played together, whenever she wanted something, and seeing him give in so easily to their daughter made her smile. Those years had been wonderful, had been success after success and success not only for the family but for the business too.

All it took was a pleading expression and a flutter of her eyelashes for her to get what she wanted from him and it made Marinette laugh every time. She could see that he loved his daughter dearly, that she was everything to him, and it had made her happy that she knew she could trust her in his hands. Her fears and worries over their bond had been soothed and calmed and it had allowed her to go out on her own as often as she had gone out as a family. She had been able to go out and buy presents and surprises for both regularly, back into the routine of working on records for earnings and expenditure to earn herself some money from the business, making her laugh and smile. She hadn’t ever expected such a close bond to a family, never knew it could make her so happy, not with what her own family had been like, and was glad to have something her father never thought she could have.

All that though changed on one of her times out when she had planned to go buy Meredith a new dress and Crawford a new suit to celebrate his new role in the Templar Order. He had been given the title of Grand Master and it had given them all more freedoms and more protection from the organisation meaning that when she went out she had guards with her regularly. Those who patrolled the streets knew who they were, had been told of the new Grand Master and his family, and had been told to keep watch over them whenever they were out, but it seemed no amount of guards could stop those who were out for revenge. She had been out in the carriage, a private one they had been able to buy with the success of the business, when something seemed to change and there seemed to be a strange sense of being watched.

She hadn’t realised but her mother had been plotting a way to get to her, a way to take away what was taken from her, had planned a cruel and cold revenge but had been waiting for the right time to strike; now taking that chance. Assassins had been the ones to take over the carriage and take it to the docks where she was waiting with a proposal she couldn’t refuse. She had been watching the family on their days out, seeing the way they interacted and smiled and laugh, and she could tell that the woman had a close bond with her new family, and she knew exactly what to do for her revenge. It was going to be long, drawn out, something drastic to really tear her apart. She was going to make sure the younger woman knew what it was like to lose your family, to have everything taken away from you, to know her own flesh and blood had betrayed her and used her to get where she wanted to be.

Marinette had grown worried when the carriage stopped in an alleyway and she watched as the guards who had come with her were dragged out of the carriage, taken away, and replaced with men dressed in familiar cloaks who held blades in a way that only she could see them. She knew there was a threat, that if she tried to alert anyone she would regret it, that if she tried to run she wouldn’t get far; especially when she looked up and saw people following the cart on the buildings above. The cart moved off back through the streets again, heading towards the docks where the leader of the group was waiting. She was fearful of what was happening, of what was going on, and when she was escorted to the large warehouse she didn’t know what to expect. She felt a blade close to her back, a warning not to run, but she kept her head held high as she walked through the building towards the shadows at the back.

She could see movement in the shadows, saw men in cloaks sitting on the boxes that lined the path, multiple pairs of eyes watching her as she was escorted to the back and she met the eyes of the woman she had always hoped would love her. She watched those eyes focus on her, the way she glared and how her cold expression rolled over her body before a cruel smirk appeared on her face. She had stepped out of the shadows to make it easier for her daughter to see her. Although she didn’t tower above Marinette, she was still intimidating as she stepped forwards and watched her daughter almost shrink at the sight of her.

“Hello traitor, it seems you have been doing well for yourself. How you could marry the man that killed your brothers and father? How could you go and have a child with him? Had I known you would be such a coward I would have told your father to drown you like the dog you are.” She seemed to almost snarl her words as she looked to her child and shook her head. “You had my husband and my boys killed, you are the reason they are dead, they can’t be buried in the family grave and I have no clue where their bodies are all thanks to you. I will tell you one thing that does make me feel good about that little slut house you joined, I can use your love for your child in my favour.”

Marinette had been listening, just letting her run her mouth, just wondering what she was going to complain about, only to tense up hearing the threat against her daughter. That was a line she was not going to let her cross and she was quick to stand up for her child no matter who had challenged her. She could feel her anger rising just at the thought of her daughter being in danger and it only made her own mother smirk.

“You think that we attacked you by coincidence? Think that we caught you by chance? Oh, my dear, I have been watching you for long enough to know exactly what was going on. I have had my men watching you, have had them observing you, had been seeing your little show of success, but I’ve grown tired of it and now I’m ready to do exactly what should have been done years ago.” The older woman ran a hand over her chin with a smirk. “You see, now you have a choice to either protect yourself or protect your child. You can come with me now and keep your beloved family safe or you can continue to prove how much of a fool you always were and try to fight me and put that lovely family of yours in danger. I will let them live, let them be, if you come with me without a fight and do as I tell you.”

Marinette tensed and froze hearing those words, hearing the warnings, hearing her threats, and she knew she couldn’t let her family be hurt. It only took her a moment to make her decision, she would follow, she would give in, she would let her mother take her away so long as it protected her family. She accepted the terms, kept her head down and held her hands out for them to bind with rope, and watched the way her mother sauntered out to her daughter’s carriage with a dangerous smirk on her face. Marinette could only watch as the woman commanded the men to drive to carriage through the streets, set fire to it and find someone to appear like her daughter; a homeless street rat that could take her place in the burning carriage. Her mother wanted to break not only her but her husband, her daughter, her replacement parents. She didn’t want them to have hope, to have belief Marinette was alive, and when the carriage began to move away Marinette felt her heart breaking and just prayed that she had made the right choice. She felt hands grab her from behind and pull her towards a ship waiting at the dock for them. She had no ides where it was taking her, where she was going, but she knew it wouldn’t be good.

Finding someone to take the woman’s place wasn’t difficult, although the men hadn’t been impressed with what they were asked, and worked quickly to follow the command. They sent the carriage blazing through the city streets, the fire raging wildly as the horses ran in fear of the inferno they were dragging behind them. People in the streets ran to avoid the uncontrolled carriage and when it finally broke off and crumbled into a heap Crawford was alerted; the logo of his family found scorched in the heap. He was rushed to the scene, to check the site while the fire was being extinguished, and watched as the bodies were pulled out of the carriage. All the bodies were badly charred, badly disfigured beyond recognition, and as he saw the only female body pulled out he couldn’t help staring. There was no way to tell who it was, no way to truly identify it was Marinette from the damage the body had sustained, but no one else should have been in the carriage. He was broken at the thought, at seeing her broken and so badly disfigured, but he knew there was more to the destruction than what he saw.

He knew this was a targeted attack, that if that truly was Marinette then Meredith could be in danger from attack too. He made sure the guards protected the wreck, had them investigate where it came from, had them explore every possible avenue of danger and increase the patrols uncertain of whether the danger was still there or if she had left. He was sure he knew who had set the attack, only one target he had been unable to find and scare off, and he just hoped she had left or she would face no mercy from him. He was utterly heartbroken, furious at his mistake for letting her be killed, angry at the men who protect her for not doing their jobs, but he was more lost wondering what he could do without her. She had become his everything, had become his reason for protecting and fighting, and he had lost that believing everything was safer than it truly was. He watched them cover and remove the bodies, watched the pile a smouldering carriage be cleaned up and taken away, made his way home realising he would have to tell his child that his mother wasn’t coming home, that they would never see her again, that he had failed to protect her mother but he swore to himself that he would never fail to protect Meredith. She was his last connection and seeing her broken and weeping over the thought of her mother being gone brought tears back to his face.

Hundreds of miles away, moving across the Channel, Marinette stared back at where her home had been, at where her happiness had been, and prayed that he could recover, that he would pull through and stand strong for their little girl she would miss growing up. She swore she would get back to them, that she would come home to them whenever she could, and just hoped that she could be welcomed back with open arms. The boat journey had been hellish, bound and locked away where she couldn’t cause trouble with someone constantly watching her, it felt like a nightmare, like she was losing the last bit of hope she had. She couldn’t fight, would risk her own family being beaten and killed, and she feared just what was planned for her, knowing it would be dragged out to be as painful as possible, as she was dragged off the boat and into a carriage quickly.

The world around her was familiar, a reversal of when she had first travelled out, but this time it didn’t feel welcoming or warming. This felt like coming back to an ice chamber, that the city she had once loved and cherished had just become a shell, and she watched as the world she once felt familiar in passed her by as if it were a foreign landscape. People had seemed happy to see her mother, families smiling at the familiar woman’s carriage, but she could only stare out the window at the world as she felt her heart didn’t belong there anymore. There was a long journey ahead, with multiple stops on the way, and she knew there was little she could do now. It was too soon, too close after the incident, and her mother held too much power over the men around her, she was going to have to wait it out, find a weakness in her group, and use it against her to get back home.

The arduous journey finally came to an end when the second boat finally hit land. A prison building was sat in the middle of a massive lake, towering above like a great threat, and she was dragged inside. She let them pull her, let them drag her, let them do whatever they wanted. She was dragged into a room, bound to a chair by her arms, hands and legs, and forced to sit there as her long, curling hair, that had always been hated by her father but adored by her husband, was sliced and shaved and dropped to the ground. Each curl was shown to her, a sick trophy that cut deeper than any blade or insult, before it was dropped to the ground and another was taken from her head till nothing, but cropped blades existed; almost like she had been shaved by a razor. She was shown her reflection, the way she now looked, how they had butchered her hair and took away the one thing she loved about herself. She had been fighting back the tears, but she hadn’t been able to any longer.


	4. Escaping Hell

Marinette hadn’t known how long she had been there, hadn’t really known how many years it had been, but it had been enough she saw grey hairs growing in her mother’s hair, wrinkles appearing on her face, suggestions that not months but years had passed by. The people that cared for her changed constantly, never working long enough for her to truly gain a bond with, but Marinette had never given up just wishing to see the love of her life again and her daughter all grown up. The hope and determination had kept her sane, had managed to pull her through the cruellest actions, had helped her make it through the torture, and she had noticed the way her tortures slowly began to change. The tortures had gone from trying to get all the information she could, to trying to forcing negative association with the family, to just plain torture just to punish her, before the tortures began to reduce and she seemed to spend more time locked away in her cell. 

She spent years only being dragged out of the prison to be abused, the only sunlight coming through a barred window for a short period of time, the room designed to limit sunlight, and as the tortures seemed to reduce, until she spent all her time in her cell, she began to miss the time out of the room. She hated being trapped in that tiny room for more than a few hours and at least the torture gave something to distract her mind from the long hours of nothing but herself. Hours and hours alone in a room alone had been hard on her, had been what had made it harder to survive, but with this time alone she noticed that her caretaker seemed to be younger than most; who seemed to be working longer than others. She didn’t know how long he would keep helping, whether she’d now have enough time to build a bond with him and get him to help her, but it seemed she finally had the chance to make an escape. He was young, clearly a new member, just following orders, and slowly she had begun to build a bond with the young man. He clearly hadn’t been influenced by the Assassins yet, at least not in a way that took his sympathy, and he had been one of the few that had taken the time to talk with her. She had been honest about her past, about the family she had lost, the child she wished to see, and it seemed to bring his sympathy to the surface. He seemed to be sympathetic, seemed to be kind and gentle, and slowly he had been kind enough to arrange an escape boat for her and a way to get out. 

It had taken months, first to get his sympathy and then to arrange the boat, but finally she had the chance at freedom she had been so desperate for. He hadn’t told her how long it had been, he wasn’t told anything more than she was a long-standing prisoner, but he had been able to fool those around him that he was taking her for shower, something done every so often, before he got her wrapped in a hooded cloak to get her on board. He had hated what he had seen there, had thought it could be a way to improve his life but changed his mind when he planned to help Marinette escape, and had been able to avoid, or divert, most questions from the guards as they had gotten into the boat and promised to escort her and help protect her on the long journey; knowing he would be punished for helping her.

The journey on the boat and across France had been tense for both, having to change clothes almost constantly, having to find documents to allow them to travel, the ex-assassin knowing someone they could us, having to find routes to avoid some of the bigger towns and cities to stay hidden, making it take longer for them to get to London than Marinette would have liked. A journey that had only taken two months before now took double that time. It had given her hair some time to grow, changing from shaved look to small curls now forming but It was nothing like it had been before and she feared Crawford wouldn’t recognise her without her long hair.

As they got closer to London, she began to feel more anxious about what she might find there. She hadn’t known if Crawford had remarried, if he was even still where they had bought, if he had forgotten her or continued to love and remember her, she didn’t even know if her daughter knew who she was or if someone else had taken that role for her. She hadn’t had a choice, couldn’t even leave them a message and when the boat they took came to the harbour she couldn’t help being in awe of the sight. Crawford’s power had seemed to spread, his Templar symbol clearly present on each street and on every guard that walked past, on flags on the street lights. She was stunned to see everything that had changed, and finally she had chance to see a paper, to see the date and she just stared feeling tears come to her eyes. Claude, the young man that had helped her, had seen her tears, seen her stunned silence, had stayed close to her to help guide her through the now unfamiliar streets, and he had stayed close to her to escort her. She had places she’d wanted to go, parts of the city she wanted to see before she lost her chance, wanted to relive the memories she had missed after such a long time.

She headed to Westminster Abbey, one place she wanted to go to remember the wedding, and she walked around the grounds enjoying the memories it brought. She had thought back to the honeymoon, to the wedding day, to the time they spent planning, to all the shopping and the fun she’d had, until she froze when she noticed a familiar name on the grave. She had been enjoying the fond memories, had been happy reliving the positive part of her past, when she’d noticed it and she could feel the dread building. She walked over to it slowly, her gut twisting and churning as she saw the grave covered in fresh, beautiful bouquets, that were clearly replaced regularly, lay all around the grave stone and single flowers sat perfectly around a polished, brass plaque with the phrase _I will hold your heart more tenderly than my own_ elegantly engraved and painted on it. She ran her hand over the words before she looked to the grave seeing three names there that brought tears to her eyes.

Adelaide, Sebastian and her own name were beautifully carved into the stone. She stared at the dates written, the day she was taken next to her name and barely a month between the pair around fifteen years after her own next to their names, feeling heartbroken at the realisation she would never see them again. She stared at the grave, fell to her knees as tears rolled down her cheeks, and felt a hand on her shoulder try to comfort her. She had been hoping to come back to them, to the family she felt she truly belonged to, yet fate or some other divine intervention decided to take that away from her. She just hoped she could make it to his – _their –_ home to see them both well. Seeing the grave brought more worries and fears to the front of her mind, the fears of being forgotten and abandoned filling her with panic again, but Claude was there to calm her. She stayed at the grave for some time, speaking as if they were there and apologised for being gone for so long and swore to see Crawford soon, building her courage to finally head to the Starrick family home hoping she could see them happy.

Claude had managed to get them a room at an inn nearby for a night, giving her time to get everything she needed together, to get whatever she had planned started, and had even managed to get a connection into her old home; an old servant she had trusted all those years ago. The servant had wanted to tell them who she was, had recognised her when she saw her and was confused when she’d asked to keep her being alive secret for now, and had brought the woman one of her maid outfits to get into the home. The servant worried about what had happened, seeing the scars on her body and the state of her hair as she tried on the uniform to check it fit, and had even gone through the plan with her to slip into the building and work as a maid to watch the pair. She had been scared to ask, about Crawford and Meredith, and her rest the night before the plan was put into action was disturbed and broken. Her sleep had been wrecked by bad dreams, images of Crawford hating her, shouting at her, rejecting her, and it brought heartbreak even though it wasn’t real. She felt tears in her eyes as she woke, felt her chest tighten at the memories of her dreams, and struggled to fall asleep after the poor sleep. She was glad when Claire, the servant who had helped her, came early the next morning to help her get into the home. She was tired, nervous, anxious, but she was glad she had the chance to see the family she had lost and see how well Meredith had been doing.

As she worked with Claire she couldn’t help noticing how little had changed in the home. A large painting of Crawford, Meredith as a young child, and herself before she had been taken. She smiled seeing the painting still hanging, seeing the paintings and pictures of the family, including ones of herself, but as she worked it seemed that Crawford hadn’t recognised her. She watched him, watched the way he walked past as if he hadn’t even noticed her, felt her heart break as she realised he hadn’t seen her, but she had been happy to see the way the pair interacted. She clearly had the man wrapped around her finger, winning him over with small smiles and a flutter of her eye-lashes, and all she seemed to do was plead with him when she found something she wanted. It was sweet to see the way they interacted, the way he treated her, how he had been so kind with her and clearly cared for her greatly. She had been serving then for a few days when she finally had the courage to ask questions she had been scared to ask. They had all been sat eating together, late enough that most of their work had been done, when she asked about Crawford being single and what happened to his parents.

“He never remarried after he lost the mother to Meredith. It seemed the two were young loves, first wedding and everything, moved into a larger home because of the expanding family, she was around for the first few years of her life but there was an accident. No one knows what happened properly, but the carriage was found burning as the horses pulled it through the streets. He…he was lost after that, never the same, except for when he’s with Meredith. It seems she brings out the Crawford that used to be.” It was one of the older maids who spoke, one that mostly worked for Meredith, and she could see it upset the woman. “His wife, Marinette, was clearly someone he cared for, someone that kept him grounded, but when she was gone, it was horrible. They found her in pretty bad shape and he just, he’s not been the same. His parents, they…they grew ill, I’m not sure what of, but they both grew very ill very fast. It was just another thing that broke him.”

Those that had been there, that had seen what he was like before nodded slowly as they remembered what he had been like. They remembered his patience, his kind actions, the way there always seemed to be smiles and happiness in the home, but they all knew he wasn’t abusive to them so long as they got their work done; his temper sometimes getting the best of him with the soldiers not the staff. The newer staff hadn’t known him, hadn’t ever really seen what he was like, but they could understand what they meant. They had all been eating together when one of the staff rushed in, reporting that something had happened to Meredith, that she was missing, that didn’t know where she was but guards were on the lookout for her. The staff were still expected to continue their roles, to work like they always did, but were informed of the situation to make sure they didn’t ask questions.

When Marinette heard the news, she felt something drop in the pit of her stomach and she didn’t feel like eating the rest of her food. She offered it to one of the others before she headed out to walk through the halls. She hadn’t known what happened, hadn’t known where her daughter was, worried that she was beaten and dying somewhere and she couldn’t help her. As she walked through the halls she passed the piano room, somewhere she had loved to be, somewhere she could think, and play away her worries, and when she realised no one was inside she let her mind wander to memories she clung to. She walked slowly through the room, letting her mind wander, remembering songs she and Crawford played together, remembering the song they had wrote together, remembered hearing Meredith laugh and clap whenever they played together. It had been somewhere that brought her happiness and she feared that would never happen again.

She slowly walked over to the piano, unsure if she could play like she used to after such a long time away, and slowly began to press the keys; remembering the song they played together. She played it slowly, remembering how they had laughed and smiled playing together, before she let her muscle memory take over and her playing picked up. She was still rusty, still a little off, but the tune she remembered was there, she was playing it and it had made her cry to hear it on the beloved instrument.

“That song, where….where did you hear that song?” Crawford had heard the piano being played, had rushed to see if it was Meredith playing a joke, and froze seeing the stranger at the piano. “Where did you learn to play that song?!”

“I…we played it together…” Was all she could say as she looked to the man; his anger and confusion evident on his face. “I…Craw, we wrote this song together. It was our song from when I first learned to play. This was our promise to each other.”

She pulled out piece of strong from around her neck with her wedding ring on it, having managed to keep it safe after all these years, and showed him the ring he would recognise just hoping she was welcome home.


	5. Shocking Return

Marinette was scared, she was worried she would be rejected and that he would abandon her, and he watched the way he walked over to her slowly. He looked at the ring she offered, seeing it on the string around her neck, and recognised it instantly. It was a special ring he had bought, something he had thought hard on, and he knew he would never forget that ring as it was so special. He looked over the woman stood before him, his eyes trying to find something, and slowly it seemed to dawn on him that the woman standing before him was his wife. He hadn’t played the song since he had thought she’d died, hadn’t wanted to hear that song after losing her, but still played the piano with Meredith joining in on a violin. The song had been kept silent in the halls, had been too special and meant too much to play it without her, and hearing that song again had brought a moment of anger.

He rushed to her, wrapped his arms around her tightly as he felt tears filling his eyes, and clung to her tightly as he let the tears flow. He couldn’t control his tears as he felt her arms around him, felt the relief of seeing her again and being able to hold her again. He looked into her eyes and could see she had changed but there was still the woman he loved in there and he kissed her feeling the tears rolling down his face; tears of pure joy. He couldn’t help himself, couldn’t help holding her tightly, always _knowing_ she wasn’t dead, his gut always telling him she was out there looking for him, but as he thought more about it he began to wonder just what happened to her. Although he was overjoyed at seeing her again, there was another worry to deal with now, there was a fear that their daughter was in danger and that someone had been out to kill her. He didn’t know where she was, what was happening to her, or how he could find her, but he had been hearing news of the guard’s bodies being found he just hoped she wouldn’t be part of it.

He needed a moment of peace, a moment to think, and had brought Marinette to the library just hoping being there could calm his nerves and settle the stress that was coursing through his body. He didn’t know how to react, what else he could do, he had all his men searching for her and him being out there wasn’t likely to help seeing as it would only make him a target. He sat himself in his seat, the one he’d always taken when Meredith was there, and watched as Marinette took the spare seat w as if she had always been there, before he began to look through the piles of paper, looking for any sign of where his daughter could be. He had gotten half way through the pile when one of the staff, one of his most trusted, had brought a letter addressed to him. He had read the note over and over, staring at the lock of hair that had come with it before he showed the note to Marinette. She had been asking how the searching went, what news they had, what she could do to help, when the note arrived, and he just asked for her to stay home, to stay safe so he didn’t have to worry about her. He knew he had to go out, he had to do this, he didn’t know if anyone knew Marinette was there, and he didn’t want to lose her again. 

He swore to her that he would bring her home, that he would reunite them all and that they could be a family again. He had missed her, he had wished she had never left, and he would ask her about why she’d left and how it all happened once Meredith was home and well. He was going to keep himself busy with research, certain there was only one person who would capture her and had gone out to meet the demands of the note sent to him. While he was out, she had returned to the home, carried in by some of the guards who rushed her to her room, and a doctor had been called quickly to be beside her and help her. No one had known what happened, they hadn’t been able to find out where the meeting point was so couldn’t get a message to Crawford directly, but Marinette was quick to take a seat at her side to comfort her. She didn’t know how long he would be, didn’t know what her daughter would think of her seeing her like this, but she could only think about what her daughter needed at that moment and it was someone to comfort her.

She helped the doctor to clean her wounds, to bandage and comfort the woman who was clearly in a poor state with how weak she was. Seeing her daughter like that broke her heart, made her worry just what had been going on while she had been ‘dead’ and she feared what could be in the future if this was happening to her daughter. When Crawford returned he rushed straight to Meredith’s side and tried to comfort her. He seemed absorbed in worrying over her, in trying to comfort and soothe her, and seemed to slowly be losing himself at the sight of her so badly beaten. Crawford had finally told the staff who she was, how important the false maid was, and that they were to look after her and listen to her while he kept watch over their daughter. The staff had been surprised by the news that the wife had been alive and that he had been right all along, but they continued with the daily chores they had.

It had been tense in the home while Meredith had been unconscious, as they had known the woman to be another staff member and now they were having to take orders from her as if she was in charge. They hadn’t been sure how to react, but Claire was happy to care for the woman, to take her old role and look after the woman who had been so kind to her even after all these years. Marinette had been surprised to find that Crawford had kept some of her dresses, had kept things of hers not just the paintings, and she was glad when the dress she chose still fit her; even though it was just a little loose. She had taken the role to guide and lead the staff seriously, but she was kind to them knowing they had been kind to her when she had first joined. She watched as he let the stress and worry consume him, how he had begun to abandon his work and just focused on her. He had stopped eating and it got to the point where she let the staff force him out of the room to care for him.

It had taken a few days to finally get him to eat and she took the post to watch over their daughter to try and calm and comfort him. She had helped to clean the injuries, changed the bandages, helped the nurse to care for her when needed, but when she woke she knew she had to be careful. She didn’t want to rush building the bond, to stress her out when she was so badly hurt, but she hoped that she hadn’t been forgotten. Crawford had been there when she woke, and he had asked for Marinette as soon as she was sure she was stable. Crawford had wanted the pair to meet, had wanted Meredith to know her mother was alive, that they could be a real family again and she could have a mother. He didn’t know how she would react, he had been upset finding out she had been alive all this time, but he had been pleasantly surprised when tears filled her eyes and she reached out to hug her. The tow women just wrapped their arms around each other and held each other close as they cried feeling their emotions overwhelm them.

For the first few days Meredith was just happy that her mother was alive, that the woman she had heard stories about constantly had returned and had just enjoyed the comfort of being together; having only faint memories of her from when she was younger. Slowly, that changed as she recovered and she began to wonder just what had been happening to her mother and why she only now came to see them seeing as the timing was so suspicious and it was while she was planning her revenge that she finally had the chance to ask her.

They were sat in the library together while Crawford was out gathering information to help with her revenge and she had been looking into her target’s business more thoroughly. It had been a shock that he’d gotten hold of her so easily, but she wasn’t going to let that happen again and was going to show him and his colleges why they shouldn’t challenge her. Marinette had been worried that this quest for revenge would only hurt them both more but she saw the determination in her daughter’s eyes and was amazed by her skill and courage. At first, she had been angry that a promise sworn to her had been broken but the more she watched her daughter the more she realised it hadn’t been by choice. She had been stubborn, had been determined to get her revenge, and no amount of hinting and hoping seemed to break her from it. That had been a life she hadn’t wanted for her daughter, she wanted her life to be normal and simple, but it seemed that wasn’t going to be for them. Marinette was sat reading books, getting back to a peaceful life after everything, and had been keeping Meredith company when silence grew too heavy as if apprehension clung to the air.

“Mother, what happened to you? What happened out there? Why...why were you gone for so long?” Meredith couldn’t look at her mother as she spoke, but she had been growing closer to her and felt that bond between them almost instantly.

“An old enemy threatened you and your father years ago. They told me if I didn’t go with them then they would attack both of you and I couldn’t let that happen. I didn’t mean to be gone for so long, I’d hoped to leave as soon as I could, but she took me further away than I thought, took me somewhere I had no allies, and I couldn’t get out until recently. It was thanks to Claude I managed to even get out and get here. If it hadn’t been for him I would still be locked away, rotting away in a prison, hoping I’d get to see you and your father again.” She lay her hand on Meredith’s and tried to soothe her worries hoping she could see the truth in her eyes. “I wanted to come back, wanted to be with you so much, but I couldn’t no matter how hard I tried. I was stopped, she managed to find every way to stop me. I am so sorry it took this long, but neither you or your father left my thoughts.” 

She ran a hand through Meredith’s hair, held her gaze, tried to show her that she had always loved her and did everything to try and get back to both her and her father. It seemed to answer her questions, seemed to ease the fears and worries that ran through her mind, and slowly their bond seemed to grow. Even though Marinette didn’t approve of her revenge plot, it didn’t mean she would stand back and watch it happen without helping her. She watched the determination her daughter had, the knowledge and skills she displayed, the confidence she held, and she was impressed and proud of her daughter’s skills. She stayed at home when they’d confronted the enemy, when they gave him his ultimatum, at the request of Crawford to keep her safe. He didn’t want to lose her again, not when he only just had her back, and had begun research into the prison she was held at to try and remove the stronghold.

Not long after their plan’s success there were reports that there had been an attack on the prison island Marinette had been held at. She had been surprised to read the reports in the paper, had been sitting with Crawford in the library and casually mentioned it being in the paper to see what his reaction would be. He seemed nonchalant about it at first and she looked over the reports wondering just what he had arranged. She had known it wasn’t him directly, he’d been there at the home when the break in happened, but she knew he had to be part of it seeing as it happened after she’d come back and he had researched her story. She had seen the papers in his office, information about the prison, and she couldn’t help smiling to herself at his reaction to the report. He didn’t confess but he looked over to her as if he knew more and she couldn’t help chuckling at the look he gave her. She took hold of his hand gently and smiled brightly thanking him for doing what she knew she couldn’t. Her mother had been one of the people reported missing, along with some of her more loyal assassins, and the only thing she could think of was what was happening to her mother now.

She feared what might happen to them in future, if she was still alive there was still danger aimed at them, and she hoped that the new strength and power Crawford had would help keep them all safe. No matter where they were there was danger, either from Assassins, other Templars looking to take his place, or even business associates, but she knew they were strong and now she was home she could build her own strength, teach her daughter the talents of the assassins she had been taught when she was younger to give her that edge. She wasn’t going to stand back and let her family be hurt again when she could do something about it. As her hair grew again, those long curls coming back to make the chaotic mess on her head, she could feel her old confidence there and couldn’t help thinking about the possibilities of their future. She was back with her family, at least what was left of it, and she could focus on her daughter now that she was home. It took her some time to catch up on what she missed, hearing stories of the years she had been taken and how it had hurt him, but knowing he had never given up and somehow knew it was her only made her feel more loved and wanted than ever.


End file.
